20 spring books from Paris Hilton, Laura Dern, Andy Cohen that we can't wait to read

Barbara VanDenburgh, USA TODAY

April 28, 2023 at 12:46 p.m.·7 min read

Finally, spring! The sun is shining, the weather is warming, the buds are blooming and some of the best books you’ll read all year are hitting the shelves.

We’re all ready to put an end to winter cabin fever, but that doesn’t mean you’re off reading duty. Spring brings not just flowers but a whole bouquet of must-read books including intimate memoirs from Paris Hilton, Maggie Smith, and Laura Dern and mother Diane Ladd; buzzy novels perfect for book clubs from Rachel Heng and Victor LaValle; and even a call to spiritual revolution from "The Office" star Rainn Wilson.

So go outside and enjoy the weather if you must, but keep your nose in these 20 new and upcoming books:

‘Paris’

By Paris Hilton (Dey Street, nonfiction), out Tuesday

Fresh off the birth of her son Phoenix and her revealing 2020 documentary “This Is Paris,” the wealthy celebrity heiress further separates the woman from the brand with a memoir that opens up more about her traumatic time spent in facilities for “troubled teens” and her relationship to celebrity.

"Paris: The Memoir" at Amazon for $20

"Paris: The Memoir" at Bookshop.org for $28

‘The Art of The Straight Line: My Tai Chi’

By Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson (HarperOne, nonfiction), out Tuesday

Reed, who died in 2013, wasn’t just a legendary musician, he was also an accomplished martial artist who studied with Chen Tai Chi pioneer Master Ren GuangYi. Finished in collaboration with Reed’s wife, this collection is made up of essays, conversations, photos and ephemera about Tai Chi, meditation and life.

"The Art of the Straight Line: My Tai Chi" at Amazon for $36

"The Art of the Straight Line: My Tai Chi" at Bookshop.org for $37

‘Next!: The Power of Reinvention in Life and Work’

By Joanne Lipman (Mariner, nonfiction), out March 21

What’s next, and how do you get there? “Next!” takes readers inside successful reinventions and transformations to offer an actionable toolkit for change in work and life when a pivot is needed to survive and thrive. From former USA TODAY editor-in-chief and author of "That's What She Said."

"Next!: The Power of Reinvention in Life and Work" at Amazon for $29

"Next!: The Power of Reinvention in Life and Work" at Bookshop.org for $30

‘The Great Reclamation’

By Rachel Heng (Riverhead, fiction), out March 28

Heng’s sweeping historical saga set against a changing Singapore follows Ah Boon, a gentle young boy born with unique gifts, and Siok Mei, a neighbor girl, in a coastal fishing village in the waning years of British rule and on the cusp of Japanese invasion.

"The Great Reclamation" at Amazon for $24

"The Great Reclamation" at Bookshop.org for $26

‘Lone Women’

By Victor LaValle (One World, fiction), out March 28

In 1915, Adelaide Henry flees California – and the secret that killed her parents – to make her way in life as a Montana homesteader. But she drags with her a mysterious trunk, heavy with the horrifying secret she’s tried to lock away.

"Lone Women" at Amazon for $24

"Lone Women" at Bookshop.org for $25

‘Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America’

By Abraham Riesman (Atria, nonfiction), out March 28

Journalist Riesman (“True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee”) returns with another revelatory biography, this one of famed wrestler promoter McMahon, who launched the careers of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, John Cena and Hulk Hogan, and then turned into a political power broker and Trump ally.

"Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America" at Amazon for $27

"Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America" at Bookshop.org for $28

‘Hang the Moon’

By Jeannette Walls (Scribner, fiction), out March 28

The author of the iconic memoir “The Glass Castle” returns with a historical novel about Sallie Kincaid, an indomitable young woman who ascends to the top of a Virginia bootlegging empire during Prohibition.

"Hang the Moon" at Amazon for $25

"Hang the Moon" at Bookshop.org for $26

‘A Living Remedy’

By Nicole Chung (Ecco, nonfiction), out April 4

The author of “All You Can Ever Know” returns with a memoir of family, class and grief, as the adopted daughter reckons with the rage and helplessness she feels in the wake of her parents’ deaths and her inability to support them as their health failed.

"A Living Remedy" at Amazon for $27

"A Living Remedy" at Bookshop.org for $28

‘Ozark Dogs’

By Eli Cranor (Soho Crime, fiction), out April 4

The author of the excellent crime novel “Don’t Know Tough” returns with a new Southern thriller of two families navigating the aftermath of a murder in the Ozarks, as the notorious Ledford clan seeks revenge on the Fitzjurls by claiming their granddaughter as payment.

"Ozark Dogs" at Bookshop.org for $25

"Ozark Dogs" at Amazon for $27

‘You Could Make This Place Beautiful’

By Maggie Smith (One Signal, nonfiction), out April 11

Poet Smith writes in lyrical vignettes of finding herself in middle age after the disintegration of her marriage and her path to healing with meditations on anger and forgiveness as she confronts modern womanhood.

"You Could Make This Place Beautiful" at Amazon for $25

"You Could Make This Place Beautiful" at Bookshop.org for $26

‘Not Funny: Essays on Life, Comedy, Culture, Et Cetera’

By Jena Friedman (Atria/One Signal, nonfiction), out April 18

The Academy Award-nominated writer and stand-up comedian (“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”) subversively reflects on modern cultural flashpoints – sexism, cancel culture, celebrity worship – in a debut essay collection.

"Not Funny: Essays on Life, Comedy, Culture, Et Cetera" at Bookshop.org for $26

"Not Funny: Essays on Life, Comedy, Culture, Et Cetera" at Amazon for $27

‘City of Dreams’

By Don Winslow (William Morrow, fiction), out April 18

The crime saga continues in this follow-up to Winslow’s bestselling “City on Fire.” An East Coast crime war has Danny Ryan is on the run from everyone – the mafia, the FBI. He lands in California to start life over, but a beautiful movie star with a dark past pulls him right back in.

"City of Dreams" at Amazon for $21

"City of Dreams" at Bookshop.org for $28

‘Honey, Baby, Mine: A Mother and Daughter Talk Life, Death, Love (and Banana Pudding)’

By Laura Dern and Diane Ladd (Grand Central, nonfiction), out April 25

When an illness threatened legendary actress Ladd’s life, her doctor prescribed long walks to help build her lung capacity. It was a struggle, but her daughter, the equally legendary Oscar-winning actress Dern, distracted her by sharing stories. Those conversations – about life, love, marriage, art, everything – are collected here.

"Honey, Baby, Mine: A Mother and Daughter Talk Life, Death, Love (and Banana Pudding)" at Amazon for $26

"Honey, Baby, Mine: A Mother and Daughter Talk Life, Death, Love (and Banana Pudding)" at Bookshop.org for $28

‘Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution’

By Rainn Wilson (Hachette Go, nonfiction), out April 25

The writer and actor who starred as Dwight on “The Office” isn’t just funny, he’s spiritual. Here, he proposes no less than a spiritual revolution, a “Soul Boom,” to achieve transformational healing on an individual and global scale.

"Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution" at Bookshop.org for $26

"Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution" at Amazon for $28

‘Chain Gang All Stars’

By Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (Pantheon, fiction), out May 2

Two women gladiators, Loretta Thurwar and Hamara “Hurricane Staxxx” Stacker, fight for their freedom within a for-profit prison system that pits prisoners against each other in death matches for entertainment.

"Chain Gang All Stars" at Amazon for $24

"Chain Gang All Stars" at Bookshop.org for $25

‘Tell Me Everything’

By Minka Kelly (Henry Holt, nonfiction), out May 2

The actress who played spoiled cheerleader Lyla Garrity on “Friday Night Lights” and affluent Samantha on “Euphoria” shares her decidedly unglamorous backstory that’s ultimately a triumphant tale of resilience.

"Tell Me Everything" at Amazon for $24

‘The Daddy Diaries: The Year I Grew Up’

By Andy Cohen (Henry Holt, nonfiction), out May 9

The prolific TV personality (“New Year’s Eve Live” and Bravo's “Watch What Happens Live!”) recently took on his hardest role yet: Daddy. When his son Ben and daughter Lucy were born, late-night parties were replaced with early-morning feedings as Cohen breaks down how family changes everything.

"The Daddy Diaries: The Year I Grew Up" at Amazon for $21

"The Daddy Diaries: The Year I Grew Up" at Bookshop.org for $28

‘Walking with Sam: A Father, a Son, and Five Hundred Miles Across Spain’

By Andrew McCarthy (Grand Central, nonfiction), out May 9

Author and actor McCarthy (“Pretty in Pink,” “Less Than Zero”) writes a poignant travel memoir about walking famed 500-mile Camino de Santiago with his son Sam to better get to know each other as adults.

"Walking with Sam: A Father, a Son, and Five Hundred Miles Across Spain" at Amazon for $25

"Walking with Sam: A Father, a Son, and Five Hundred Miles Across Spain" at Bookshop.org for $26

‘Quietly Hostile’

By Samantha Irby (Vintage, nonfiction), out May 16

The celebrated essayist (“Wow, No Thank You”) returns with a hilarious new collection of personal anecdotes and observations about life on topics as varied as adopting a pandemic dog and bathroom etiquette.

"Quietly Hostile" at Amazon for $15

"Quietly Hostile" at Bookshop.org for $16

‘A Line in the Sand’

By Kevin Powers (Little, Brown, fiction) May 16

The author of National Book Award finalist “The Yellow Birds” returns with the story of Arman Bajalan, a motel maintenance worker, who finds a dead body on a Norfolk beach in Virginia and becomes convinced it's connected to his past as an interpreter in Iraq. With the help of a seasoned detective, can Arman stay alive?

"A Line in the Sand" at Bookshop.org for $27

"A Line in the Sand" at Amazon for $29

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